What happened before the days of our technology and meteorologists?

The weather’s got a lot to answer for.

Like a lot a lot. Plans for the day, where to go on holiday, when to walk the dog and of course, the almighty decision of when to pop the washing out.

Before the days of technology and meteorologists (and iphones!), the world looked at the weather differently. Everything encompassing nature as a whole formed the basis of predicting the weather to come – these days though it’s a completely different kettle of fish! We’re incredibly lucky that our technology worldwide is improving day on day and our meteorologists are getting increasingly more accurate each passing day.

No more do we completely rely on stepping outside and casting uncertain glances around, analysing the colour of the sky, the winds and the animals….but not that long ago that’s exactly what we would have done, and entirely relied upon.

Throughout the years predicting the weather has come from a huge array of sources. From cloud patterns to rain formations, to counting cricket’s chirps (true fact!) and now of course, with meteorological observations. One thing we love to dwell on though is of course Aussie folklore.

So when we talk about ‘folklore’ sayings, sometimes you really can find some (or a hint of) truth behind them.

FACT: “2,000 thunderstorms rain down on Earth every minute”

But what can nature teach us about weather patterns?

There’s much to say about nature’s ability of showing and telling us what weather has in store for us… here are just a few of the folk wisdom and weather proverbs.

‘Clear moon, frost soon’

‘If the Spiders are many and spinning their webs, the spell will soon be very dry’

‘The Sharper the blast, the sooner ‘tis past’

Next time you’re heading off for a weekend out of the city and heading out towards the Australian bush, you may find that many of the locals have their own way of detecting the approaching weather by looking to our animals and nature to indicate what’s heralding their way too. Just ask them!

FACT:

“Raindrops can be the size of a housefly and fall at more than 30kmph.”

Let’s take it back to the early 1980’s when our founder Stephen Nowak, was wracking his (and everyone else’s) brains around him for inspiration on just what to call his new business. A business which wanted everyone to enjoy the weather in comfort and style regardless of the weather forecast. So one evening, mid-glass of wine and relaxing in the garden, Stephen and his wife Ricki decided that they really wanted to find something that would encapsulate their love of our country & the elements to formulate a name for this exciting new venture. Sifting through idea upon idea, they took it back to basics and came back full circle to the weather and nature. The sole reason for venturing on this new and exciting business adventure! Read more about our history here.

Having always been ones for exploring Australia (and the rest of the world), they reminisced on their frequent trips to the bush and back. During these trips with their family they’d always comment on the beautiful bird song you would hear throughout their days there. One in particular – the Currawong bird‘s song sprung to mind.

The Currawong species are also widely known across Australia as the piping-crow or the crow-shike. Their bead-like eyes, and fairly large stature (averaging 50cm in height) makes them recognisable across a lot of the country. You’ll find the Currawong species in the woodlands and sometimes now in suburban areas. Country folk say that the Currawong’s call is a sign of the temperature to drop and the rain to come, and it’s from here came that the brand name ‘Rainbird’ came about!

Fast forward to 2018, and just last week as the heavens opened up in Melbourne we had the office windows open and we could hear the Currawong Rainbird call!

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Hi there! Our Rainbird team is taking a break over the festive period, this sadly means no orders will be despatched from 20/12/18 – 01/01/19. You can still however place your order making the most of our free express postage during this time. We will then Express Post your order out to you on Wed 02/01/19 or Thurs 03/01/19 at no extra charge. Apologies for the inconvenience, and we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!